'The Artist' Official Poster Hits the Web

The U.S. version of the poster for Michel Hazanavicius’ film sings of old Hollywood glamour.

The Weinstein Co. is bringing some Gallic glamour to the states as it readies The Artist for release on Nov. 23.

Back in May, this stunning, black-and-white poster, with its intentional echoes of the old Hollywood star system, greeted moviegoers at the Cannes Film Festival, where Michel Hazanavicius’ film had its world premiere.

On paper, The Artist sounds like something of a novelty – not only is it in black-and-white itself, but it is also silent except for Ludovic Bource’s score. Set in 1927 Hollywood – and filmed on Los Angeles locations – it stars France’s Jean Dujardin as a dashing matinee idol who’s threatened by the arrival of the talkies. Berenice Bejo, who’s also pictured in the poster, plays a young dancer looking for her big break, and John Goodman and James Cromwell turn up in supporting roles.

The movie, with its mix of comedy, romance and elegantly retro technique, proved to be a big hit at Cannes, and the festival rewarded Dujardin with its best actor prizes. So why tinker with success? The Weinstein Co. will use the same poster to introduce the movie in the U.S., where it’s hoping that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences also will fall for the film in a big way.